Tag: fintail

Walking past the Mercedes-Benz dealer the other day, it struck me that there’s not a single car in the lineup that is appealing to me, save for the AMG GT. Sure, the Geländewagen hasn’t changed much in the grand scheme, but its festooned with more chrome and lights than Studio 54 these days. Looking back to a car like this 1967 230, I’m reminded of how Mercedes could get it right, even while employing a styling gimmick such as tail fins. Known as the Heckflosse, or Fintail, in German, this car we see here for sale in California represents the end of the run for the W110, a sedan phased out in 1968. My father owned a very early W110, a 1962 190C 4-speed manual, and this 230 brings back fond memories of that machine.

The Mercedes-Benz Fintails of the 1950s and 1960s was a rather daring design for a company noted for its adherence to traditional design. This styling hallmark would live on through the late 1960s and could be considered the grandfather to the modern day E-class sedan. The 230S we see here was one of the later expressions of the W111 design and one that found its way into my father’s garage in the 1970s. This black example for sale in New York is almost identical to my father’s car, save for the fact that his was a ’67 with a 4-speed manual on the floor and was equipped with a saddle tan MB-Tex interior.

The term “cool” is overused a lot in the English vernacular, but if one car I’ve ever discussed on GCFSB could be described as such, it’s this rare Mercedes-Benz 230S estate. Fully restored, in a very fetching color combination, replete with a 4-speed manual gearbox on the column, it doesn’t get much better than this for the five-door enthusiast. These estates were produced by IMA in Belgium, who were producing knock down kits of Mercedes sedans, as well. I have a personal connection to the W111 chassis 230S, as my father used to own a 230S sedan with a 4-speed manual on the floor years ago. Could this 230S be the ultimate chariot in which to carry the family to the country club?

We tend to focus a lot on low mileage, mint condition examples of our favorite German vehicles here at GCFSB, but we can also appreciate original cars with patina to remind us how things once were. The Mercedes-Benz 230S was the car that started my fascination with the Three Pointed Star, as my father owned one shortly before my birth in the 1970s. His 230S was a 1967 just like this car we see here for sale in Missouri, except his was black over palomino with a 4-speed manual on the floor. This particular 230S we’re featuring today was originally a German market car that found its way to the US in the late 1980s.

The 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230 we featured earlier this month is back up for sale once again, this time at no reserve. If you’ve been wanting to delve into the realm of vintage Mercedes but find yourself on a budget, there are few better place to start than with this fintail.

The below post originally appeared on our site March 13, 2014:

While they might have classic looks, the Mercedes-Benz W111 is one of those classics that you could conceivably use everyday. In the early 1970s, my father bought a 230S similar to this car for sale in California. Finished in black, it was an imposing sedan and one which stood out amongst the sea of domestic iron that roamed the streets of Philadelphia. These classic Benzes are more affordable than one would suspect and a great choice for someone looking for a car they can both show off at car shows on the weekend but use as intended during the week.

Beautiful 1966 Mercedes Benz 230S. Finished in Mercedes Blue with Creme Beige Interior. 81,000 original miles. 3 Speed manual transmission. Runs and drives excellent. Recent service which includes Solex carbs rebuilt. Chrome is in excellent condition. This is a turnkey Mercedes and can be driven daily. In dash CD player. Tires have 70% tread life remaining. Perfect for any collector or enthusiast. Buy it now or make an offer. We are a licensed and bonded dealer in Southern California and all California residents will pay state Ssles Tax, license fees and a $75.00 Documentation Fee. We welcome all European and Canadian buyers. We ship worldwide and can assist with low cost shipping anywhere in the U.S. Thanks for looking.

The seller erred in stating that this car had a 3-speed manual. The 230S was available with either a 4-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. This seems to be a solid runner, with decent cosmetics and just the right amount of patina in the right places. While the color isn’t my favorite and I’m not a fan of the aftermarket console under the dash, this is one of the better examples of a 230S that I’ve seen recently.…

The car looks far to nice to have seen much hard off road use, but if you know your history then you would know that these Heckflosse Mercedes were quite capable rally cars, placing 1, 2, 3 in the Monte Carlo Rally right after their introduction. This 230 has had a lot of care in putting it to where it is now. It has a nice two tone paint jobs with unique beige with brown roof colors. Rally accessories include sway bars, Hella driving lights, questionably U.S. road legal French style yellow headlights, rally timers and a Tag Heuer stopwatch are inside.

The car has bids up to $5,000 and a Buy-It-Now price of $9,900. These aren’t particularly rare cars, though some engine and trim combos were limited production and command higher prices. This is a good looking car. I’ve included video of some vintage clips of fintails.

The below post originally appeared on our site October 25, 2012:

Towards the end of then 1960s, Mercedes-Benz finally laid the automotive fad that was the rear tailfin to rest. Never one to give into trends, it was rather surprising that the typically conservative company from Stuttgart would give in and feature such a bold styling cue. The W110 were the bread and butter midsize sedans for Mercedes through most of the decade. In 1965, the lineup was given a refresh that introduced the M180 2.3 liter inline six to the lineup that you see here in our feature car.

Not only was the W110 at the forefront of Mercedes-Benz’s crash testing efforts, but a few of the W110 and larger W111 Heckflosse models were successful in competition.…

Towards the end of then 1960s, Mercedes-Benz finally laid the automotive fad that was the rear tailfin to rest. Never one to give into trends, it was rather surprising that the typically conservative company from Stuttgart would give in and feature such a bold styling cue. The W110 were the bread and butter midsize sedans for Mercedes through most of the decade. In 1965, the lineup was given a refresh that introduced the M180 2.3 liter inline six to the lineup that you see here in our feature car.

Not only was the W110 at the forefront of Mercedes-Benz’s crash testing efforts, but a few of the W110 and larger W111 Heckflosse models were successful in competition. One of the more notable events was the 1960 Rally Monte Carlo where a 220SE claimed first, second and third place, with first place awarded to Walter Schock and Rolf Moll. This 230 for sale in Illinois has been prepared for classic rallying, which seems a bit far fetched to the uninitiated. Those in the know, however, are aware just how tough and well suited for rallying these cars can be.

A few years before I was born, my father owned a 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230S. Bought used in the early 1970s, he still waxes poetically about this car. At a time when foreign cars were scarce on the streets of Northeast Philadelphia, this befinned jet black saloon stood out. It certainly raised some eyebrows in my grandparent’s neighborhood the first time my father arrived to take my mom out on a date. It was the kind of car that screamed “I’m successful” or perhaps in this part of the world, “I’m connected.”

While his car was based on the more upmarket W111 chassis, the W110, previously available with four cylinders and diesel engines, became available with the same engine carburetted 2.3 liter inline six cylinder engine, the M130, that powered my dad’s 230S. Sold from 1965 through 1968, this was among the last of the fintails to be sold. This model, with it’s single round headlights, was simply dubbed the 230. Over the years, critics have pondered just how Mercedes could have capitulated to such a styling fad, but truth be told, the Heckflosse, or Fintail, has garnered it share of respect. This 230 for sale in California has some lesser seen options on this basic Benz, such as a sunroof and air conditioning.

Vin# 11001110034307 Miles: 87717 4 speed on the floor Sunroof 1967 marked the end of the long lasting production-run of the Mercedes Fintail models. Produced for 18 years and sold in many countries it made Mercedes Benz a household name all over the world. The featured 230 is one of the last cars produced and is titled as a 1968 model. It has the most option I have ever seen, including a sunroof with a matching windscreen made by Webasto and a Frigiking air conditioning unit (still blowing cold air, what is hard to believe).

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